The burning question I'm sure you're all asking, is this 2023 version of 'Haunted Mansion' better than the old 2003 Eddie Murphy vehicle 'The Haunted Mansion'? Well the original 2003 version was reasonable but something of a disappointment only being a loose adaptation of the iconic rides story (not concrete in itself), and of course merely a comedic vehicle for Murphy.
This new reboot actually goes the whole hog this time and follows the, admittedly loose, Disney story for the ride. Obviously if you've never been to any Disney theme park and never gone inside any of the Haunted Mansion attractions then it won't really matter to you. Plus you won't pick up on many of the little easter eggs and visual touches dotted throughout the movie that hark back to the ride. A shame but what can you do.
As for the plot, well it's a very simple affair mostly because it dates back to the 60's when Walt and co came up with it. Just outside New Orleans sits Gracey Manor which has just been purchased by widow Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son. She intends to turn it into a B&B but has discovered a ghost problem. Said ghost problem prevents them from leaving the mansion because the ghosts relentlessly haunt anyone who leaves until they return. Recent widower Ben (Lakeith Stanfield), an astrophysicist, is hired by Father Kent (Owen Wilson) to go to the mansion due to his invention of a camera that can essentially see ghosts (not overly important in the long run).
Over time Bruce the historian and professor (Danny DeVito) and Harriet the psychic join the fray also trapped in the house due to the same 'curse'. With the help of a ghostly psychic trapped in a crystal ball (Jamie Lee Curtis), they must all unravel the spooky mystery of why they are trapped inside the mansion. Why are all the ghosts also trapped in the mansion, including an eerie malevolent ghost, and what is this malevolent ghost up to.
Character wise this new version offers more but falls down on the final product. The characters we get are all fine with adequate casting, although some more mature eccentric stars could have been used. The characters themselves are too conflicted and we the audience don't know where they are coming from, or they're just too corny. Widower Ben is generally solemn half the time because of his loss, which is understandable and drives his story but overall it's very cliche. Harriet the psychic appears to be a grifter at first, then she's the real deal but just no good, then outta nowhere she's actually really good. Father Kent is actually a solid character right from the start until we discover he's a fake and pretending, which was pretty disappointing really. Bruce the professor comes across as an obstruction to the cause at first, then sorta helping, but eventually being pretty useless and not needed. Gabbie is a widow...but that never seems to bother her, okay then I guess.
Visuals this version wins wins and wins again. The mansion is exactly as it should be, a lovely antebellum-style mansion with a French quarter New Orleans-style exterior complete with sprawling spooky tree-lined grounds and cemetery. The interiors are also exactly as you would expect with thick wood decorating everywhere, rows of ancient cobweb covered books, dimly lit long hallways, creepy busts, huge portraits etc...Everything is pretty much like the attraction with all the various famous ghosts present and correct.
The movie actually holds the line between a soft ghostly tale for kids and something with a bit more bite for adults. This isn't a scary movie but its definitely quite creepy in places with lots of nice sinister and phantasmal scenery and sequences. All the CGI supernatural ghost effects look decent which was surprising. In fact, it all kinda got me thinking about how much it looked like a Ghostbusters movie in places and how this plot and movie would have made a pretty solid little Ghostbusters sequel (instead of that farm-based bore fest). The comedy was weak and pathetic so no comparisons there. Just try to ignore the horrendous amount of product placements scattered throughout.
So in a shocking development that I didn't even see coming, yes I did actually enjoy this movie and yes it is actually better than the 2003 version. Obviously that's not a high bar to clear but nevertheless. Overall this movie is perfectly satisfying if you're into light ghost tales that won't give you a heart attack. I found myself engaged and enjoying the hijinks. At times it's quite dark, at times it's a bit Scooby-Doo-ish, at times it's corny, but overall it works fine.
6.5/10
No comments:
Post a Comment